1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a composite electrolyte and a lithium battery including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carbonaceous materials, such as graphite, are representative examples of anode active materials suitable for use in lithium batteries. Graphite has good capacity retention characteristics, high potential characteristics, and ensures battery's high stability because there is no volumetric change during intercalation or deintercalation of lithium. Graphite has a low theoretical electric capacity of about 372 milli Ampere hours per gram (mAh/g).
A lithium metal may be used as an anode active material for lithium batteries. A lithium metal may have a very high electrical capacity per unit mass. During intercalation or deintercalation process of lithium ions, a dendrite structure may be formed on a surface of the lithium metal, which may cause a short circuit between a cathode and an anode. Also, the lithium metal is highly reactive to a liquid electrolyte during charging/discharging.
In order to suppress high reactivity of the lithium metal, a solid electrolyte may be introduced on a surface of the lithium metal. For example, lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON), which is one type of an inorganic electrolyte, has a substantially low lithium ion conductivity of 2×10−6 Siemens per centimeter (S/cm) or lower at room temperature and has a very high resistance at its thickness of 200 nanometers (nm) or greater. For example, one type of a glass-ceramic solid electrolyte, LATP, is fragile, and a transition metal in the solid electrolyte may react with lithium.
Therefore, there remains a need for an electrolyte that has flexibility and a high ion conductivity as well as stability with respect to a lithium metal.